AfterRain Rainbow

Farhan - Extract Of A Story

Sunday, July 22, 2007

The sergeant shouted , " Alright men! This is it! When we go out there , put your country before you!" Those were the sergeant's final words to his platoon before they went out to the vicious battlefield of bloodshed. We treaded behind him as we headed towards the core of the war , through the thick and dense forests . We shuffled our steps trying to move both fast and stealthily without being caught . We had to move fast as we had no vehicle but we manage to pull through . We finally managed to get there but it was clearly obvious that the odds were favouring the opposition and most definitely against us . One of the opposing front man spotted us and it was the beginning of the end for us . We had gave it our all but had lost a few of our men . My heart was telling me to keep on going but the fact of a few hundreds throwing of a few thousands was simply impossible. We had no other choice but to retreat . We fleed as soon as the smoke grenade was thrown...

He / she / we said at
7/22/2007 03:48:00 PM

We must continue with the tradition our forefathers have

Thursday, July 12, 2007

“Mommy, can we take a picture? The view’s nice and furthermore, it’s our last day here at the beach,” Josh asked, hopefully. Mrs Bing smiled and whipped out a digital camera from her hand-bag. They both posed against the picturesque background, together with Josh’s sister, Jessie. The threesome giggled and laughed as Mr Bing was snapping away. Then, a sudden thought struck Mrs Bing.

Her hand turned cold and clammy just thinking of it. “I don’t want to die,” read her mind. For generations, Mrs Bing’s family had never been taking pictures with 3 people, until that fateful day. It was believed that the person in the middle would die earlier. “Ryan, you know that we cannot take pictures with 3 people. But why didn’t you remind me? Do you want me to die young?!” Mrs Bing shouted at her husband, at the top of her lungs. As soon as she wanted to continue, she collapsed on the ground, gasping for air.“Sherry! Are you okay?” Mr Bing asked repeatedly to Mrs Bing. No response. Their hearts filled with sheer panic, scared to think if the superstition was really true. Without further ado, they called for the ambulance. However, the ambulance was caught in a jam and arrived late. Mrs Bing was already in a semi-conscious state by the time the ambulance arrived.

“I’m sorry but we tried our best. Mrs Bing seemed to have died of lack of oxygen but we just can’t seem to find the reason why,” announced the doctor, teary-eyed. Josh and Jessie, shocked by the devastating news, immediately broke down. Their mother was the strongest and most healthy person in their household, how could she die at such a young age and without a reason? They tried not to blame it on the superstition. The family returned home in the sorrow, the joy of the day had turned into ashes for them. Mr. Bing opened the closet, wanting to change a new set of clothes. At a corner, something sparkling caught his attention. Out of curiosity, he reached forward to grab it. He suddenly recalled about the superstition he was warned when he took a photograph for the family. He could still remember this particular necklace that wore on the day of the tragedy. It was very beautiful and Mr Bing could not bear to throw it away. Hence, he decided to pass the necklace down to Jessie, his daughter as a token of remembrance.

A week later, the photos were developed. One of them however shocked him to his bones. His prolonged stare at the photo was turned to guilt and fear. A figure dressed in white with an expressionless face was pulling the necklace on Mrs Bing's neck. The most shocking thing is that he saw a faint figure hovering behind Jessie. Mr Bing froze on the spot and the photo was released from his hands. He immediately rushed to Jessie’s room only to find a white figure leaning over Jessie...

He / she / we said at
7/12/2007 10:32:00 PM

Be back before dusk

Friday, July 6, 2007

"Make sure you are home before dusk this month."

"I don't believe in this kind of nonsense."I stormed out of the door.I went to the cinema and had a great time with my friends.We chattered, laughed and had fun.By the time the movie was over and we were ready to go home, it was already past midnight.

As I walked along the dark roads,I felt as though there was someone following me.I spun around but there was no one on the deserted streets.Feeling uneasy,I quickened my pace and hurried towards the bright lights of the HDB block that I live in.I stumbled and tripped, almost falling face flat onto the ground.Feeling anxious, I scurried into the lift.

I hurriedly pressed the lift buttons.Then,just as the doors slid close and the lift started inching upwards, everything went black.Gradually, my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I could make out a dark figure moving about.I inched towards the wall behind me.I felt a cold, hard breath at the edge of my neck.My heart began racing,my legs feeling wobbly,hands went clammy and I felt drained from the inside.My mind froze at a point.I was sure that I was the only person in the lift when I got in.Suddenly, a disfigured face appeared right in front of me,dangling.It was a young girl, clad in a black school uniform with long hair and malevolent red eyes, constantly staring at me.Then,she vanished into thin air leaving words in blood stating,"BE BACK BEFORE DUSK!" All of a sudden, a burning scar appeared on my left cheeks.

When the lights went on,I ran out of the door in fear,stumbling and eventually fainting at the front of my doorstep.My last sight before I passed out was the girl floating away.When I opened my eyes,I saw my grandmother.I looked at her helplessly and pointed to my feet.There was a piece of half-burnt hell note poking out of the end of my shoe.My grandmother could only give off a sentence,"I told you so..."

He / she / we said at
7/06/2007 11:20:00 AM